Technical Security: How to wipe your phone or computer if it is lost or stolen

Selling your old technology can put cash in your pocket, but remember that your devices store sensitive data that you don’t want a stranger to access.

Your smart speaker, for example, knows your location and can even store your voice recordings locally. Tap or click here for steps to delete and unsubscribe from your Amazon Echo before selling.

Now think about what your phone knows. No wonder you get that awful feeling of sinking when you can’t find it. Here’s how to find a lost phone, even when the battery is low.

But what if your phone, tablet or laptop is lost forever? Don’t let everything stored there fall into the wrong hands. Here’s how to delete all that personal information from anywhere.

Remember, you need to set this up in advance

Imagine you are traveling and your phone or computer is nowhere to be found. If your access code is easy to guess – or worse, you’ve never set it up – you’ll potentially hand over everything from signing up for a bank to a social media account, who knows who.

The ability to remotely delete devices is incredibly useful. But you have to set the possibility in advance. If you’re waiting to need this feature, it’s too late. Take some time to set it up by following the steps below.

Delete your Android

If you lose your Android phone, you can find, lock or delete it remotely. You will need to enable the Find My Device feature before using these features. Here’s how.

• Open up Settings application.
• Touch Security > Find My Device. If you don’t see Security, tap Security and location or Google> Security.
• Make sure Find My Device is turned on he.

Follow these steps to remotely wipe your phone

• Go android.com/find and sign in to your Google Account. If you have more than one phone, click on lost phone at the top of the screen. If your lost phone has more than one user profile, sign in with your Google Account on the main profile.
• The lost phone will be notified and you will see its approximate location on the map. If you can’t locate your phone, you’ll see its last known location.
• Choose Enable lock and delete if necessary.
• Choose Wipe the device on permanently delete all data on your device. Note: After taking this step, Find My Device will not work on this phone.

Erase data from your iPhone, Mac, or iPad

Apple’s Find My app allows you to remotely wipe iPhone, iPad or Mac remotely. As with Android, make sure you have Find My enabled in advance.

Enable Find My for iPhone and iPad:

• Open up Settings application. Touch yours namethen tap Find My.
• Touch Find My [device]then turn on Find My [device].
• To see your device even when offline, turn it on Find my network.
• To send the location of your device to Apple when the battery is low, turn it on Send last location.

To turn on Find My for your Mac:

• Click on Apple menu > System settings > Security and privacy. Click on Privacy tab. If the padlock in the lower left corner is locked, click on it and enter the password.
• Choose Location servicesthen select Enable location services check box. Make sure the check box is next to it Find My is selected.
• Click Doneand then return to the main System Preferences window.
• Click Apple ID > iCloud. Check the box next to it Find My Mac.
• To make sure you can find your Mac if it’s ever lost or stolen, click Options. Check it out Find My Mac is included i Find My network is on.
• Click Done.

Now, let’s say your iPhone, iPad or Mac is gone. Here’s how to remotely erase all data stored on it.

• Go icloud.com and log in to your account.
• Click Find My iPhonethen All devices. (Note: If you don’t see All Devices, you’ve already selected a device. Click the name of the current device in the middle of the toolbar to access the device list, then select a new device.)
• Select the device you want to delete and click Delete [device].
• Do one of the following, depending on what you want to delete: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch: Enter your Apple ID password. If you’re not using a trusted browser, answer security questions or enter verification code sent to your other devices. Mac: Enter the Apple ID password. If you’re not using a trusted browser, answer security questions or enter verification code sent to your other devices. Enter the password to lock your Mac. You will need to use a password to unlock it.
• iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch: Enter your Apple ID password. If you’re not using a trusted browser, answer security questions or enter verification code sent to your other devices.
• Mac: Enter the Apple ID password. If you’re not using a trusted browser, answer security questions or enter verification code sent to your other devices. Enter the password to lock your Mac. You will need to use a password to unlock it.
• If the device is lost and you are asked to enter a phone number or message, indicate that the device is lost or how to contact you if you wish. The number and message will appear on the device lock screen.
• If your device is online, remote wipe starts after following the on-screen instructions. If your device is offline, remote wipe starts the next time it’s online.

MORE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCES: Every iPhone and Android user should know these ingenious commands

Windows

You can also remotely wipe your Windows laptop. Make sure you have the Find my device feature enabled before this happens:

• Sign in with your Microsoft account.
• In Windows 10 go to Settings > Update and security > Find my device and ensure that the function he.
• In Windows 11 go to Settings > Privacy and security > Find my device and ensure that the function he.

Then you need to log in to Microsoft Intune, a cloud-based service that allows you to remotely manage devices and applications. Install the application with Microsoft Store or Log on to the company’s portal website.

Now, if your laptop disappears, you can remotely delete it.

• Go portal.azure.com/#home and sign up.
• Choose All services and filter Intune.
• Choose Microsoft Intune and select Devices.
• Select the device you want to remotely delete.
• Click Delete and then Yes.
• The next time your laptop is turned on, all your data will be erased within 15 minutes.

Delete from the internet

While on the go, take another smart step in terms of privacy. Here is my latest guide to deleting yourself from the internet. It’s almost impossible to completely erase yourself from the web, but you can erase quite a bit if you know where to start.

PODCAST SELECTION: Traffic Trick, YouTube Shortcuts, Golden Privacy Tip – Komando.com

Do you want to delete from the Internet? Here’s how. I will also tell you how to predict the traffic situation months in advance. You’ll learn about some YouTube keyboard shortcuts you’ll always use and Netflix changes that could come later this year. Also, part of the history died in a ransomware attack. Here’s what you need to know.

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Learn all about the latest technology on The Kim Command Show, the largest weekend radio talk show in the country. Kim receives calls and shares tips on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.